[quotemsg
You don't have to leave Steam running all the time, and since it sounds like you're very new to PC gaming, and don't have 99% of your games in Steam like most PC gamers, there's really no reason to have it running in the background at all.[/quotemsg]
Hello Jeff. I have it figured out now. I was using the X in the upper right corner that you normally use to close a program but apparently that leaves the big window or something running in the background. I noticed it in task manager background processes. I used the "exit" option instead of the X and that closes everything in Steam. The controller now works normally in Syndicate. Thanks for the nudge to investigate other options. Problem appears solved.